Young or old, sooner or later everyone goes green

It is known that marijuana is a gateway drug that may lead to a darker more dangerous place. What if weed was a gateway that leads to a “greener” pasture? As younger generations indulge in this free flowing experience, it also happens that older generations are treating themselves to the same “pot” of gold. While the youth practice this way of life for reasons of stress, fun, boredom, fitting in, and experimentation, the elderly take part in this for a different reason. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, older people use this drug to not only relax, but to also ease their physical aches and pains.

As older generations and younger generations grow further apart, they are connected by a timeless phenomenon. The commonalities between generations are clear; older people use mj for physical pain while younger generations use it for mental pain. Also, middle-aged adults use marijuana as a way to relax and wind down after a hard day. Finally, this drug has a way of enhancing your focus whether it is studying for a test or remembering to take the right pills for the day. In a weird way, marijuana may help bring generations closer together.

Smoking weed may or may not be a good thing, but looking at the effects it has on people really brings out its true colors. Some may still see these colors as dark, but for others, brightness is portrayed through its natural abilities. It is interesting that society can look at marijuana as a negative thing, but when the majority of that same society is participating in this epidemic, it seems a bit hypocritical.

Courtesy of yahoo.com and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.

Mark Goldstein grew up in New Jersey and always had an interest in social communities and the people in them. He attended college at Towson University where he received a degree in sociology/anthropology. He finds an enjoyment in writing and feels that writing for Examiner.com would be a nice way to inform others of what is going on around the local area. He now resides in Columbia, Maryland.